Adjustable sweat band



E. 5. SLOAN 2,074,568

ADJUSTABLE SWEAT BAND March 23, 1937.

Filed Feb. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1937. E c, L AN 2,074,568

ADJUSTABLE SWEAT BAND Filed' Feb. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 23, P937 s'm'ras ADJUSTABLE SWEAT BANDv Edward C. Sloan, Geneva, lll assignor to Jesse B. Hawley, Geneva, Ill.

Application February r, 1935, Serial No. 4,863

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for supporting a hat on the head of'the wearer and has particular reference to hats of the type which are larger in size than the wearer's head and are suspended by the sweat band which itself is fitted to the particular size of the head of the wearer.

Among the objects of the invention is to .provide a novel hat band or head band or sweat band 19 device which is preferably adjustably connected to the hat in such a way that as the hat is put n to the head the band readily fits the head with an air space between the head and the lower portion of the crown of the hat for air circulation and ventilation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel band which is adjustableto any size of the head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for adjusting the size of the band, in a specific embodiment-illustrating the same, such means including selective points of adjustment and size indicia corresponding to such points.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for connecting the band to the hat, a specific illustrative embodiment of such means comprising resilient elements each of which is pivotally connected ataits ends to the hat and the band so that the elements may flex when the band is fitted to the head, and also move pivotally when the band is adjusted or varied in size, the connecting means for the elements being in theform of hollow! rivets or. eyelets passing through the hat and through the band at the respective ends of the connecting elements.

'A further object of the invention is to provide a novel band. with or without openings or holes and with or without lobes at the edge portions thereof for assisting the placing and fitting of the band on to and to the head of the wearer.

Other objects, advantages, capabilities, features and the like are comprehended by the invention as will later appear and as are inherently possessed by the invention.

Referring to the drawings;

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a hat and sweat band device constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is.a fragmentary sectional view taken through a part of the hat to show "the connection between the hat and the sweat band;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the adjustability of the sweat band;

55 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the end portions of the sweat band and showing the means for-effecting adjustment and for selectively making the adjustment;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a hat and an alternate form of hat band device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the free end portions and adjusting means of the sweat band shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a sweat band provided with openings or holes and also with corrugated or scalloped edge portions; and,

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of a complete hat.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in connection with a hat I having a crown 2 and a brim 3. The crown may have design features such as a boss 4 to represent a top knot, ridges 5 to represent seams or the like and ribs 5 to represent folds or pleats or the like.

The hat is preferably composed of accreted fibrous material molded upon a porous former or die by the accretion of treated fibres upon the contoured surface of the die, and suitably pressed, dried and coated as more fully disclosed in the co-pending application of myself and Gustave A.

,Sporre identified as Serial No. 4,862, file'd'February 4, 1935 and the co-pending application of Jesse B. Hawley, Serial No. 4,866, filed February 4, 1935, the former application being assigned to Jesse B. Hawley, Geneva, Illinois.

At the juncture 1 between the crown- 2 and the brim 3 is attached the connecting element 8 which, in the particular embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, is in the form of a resilient strip which may be metal or the like. This strip is provided at its lower end with an opening for receiving a protruding portion of a securing or fastening element 9 which in the particular embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, is in the form of a hollow rivet or eyelet. The rivet has an outer flange I 0 of substantial area to bear against the outer surface of the juncture I so as not to tear into or through the material of the hat and also so as-not to injure 'or mar the surface of the hat. By being hollow it provides for a passage ll for affording ventilation. The) inner end of each rivet 9 protrudes sufiiciently'tol be received into the opening of the strip 8, and has an inner flange l2 for properly holding the lower end of the strip 8 in place as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper end of the strip'8 has a bend l3 continuing into a short depending end portion H which is provided with a hole in which is received a hollow rivet or eyelet 85 having suitable flanges on each end thereof for engagement with the depending part it and the inner surface of a sweat band i6 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The sweat band is in the form of a strip of ma terial which has sufiicient stiffness to be held in some general form and still is resilient enough to give for changing the size of the band. In the drawings, this band is shown to be of oval shape 10 and is connected at spaced points to the connecting or supporting strips 8 as clearly indicated in the drawings. The band has free end portions ii and it which overlap each other, the portion H preferably being provided with a series of openings or slots into which may be selectively engaged or connected the tongue 2| of a hook 22 which is secured in any suitable manner to the end of the end portion i8 of the band. The hook 22 is preferably connected to the end portion i8 20 by a hollow rivet or eyelet 23 as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Adjacent each of the slots or openings 20 are located size indicia so arranged that when the hook 22 is connected in any one of these openings 20 the sweat band shall be of the 25 size indicated by the indicia corresponding to that opening.

The sweat band may be, as desired, provided with any suitable number of openings for the purpose of air circulation, such openings being desig- 0 nated by the reference characters .24 and 25 upon the drawings. Also the edge portions of the band may be more or less smooth or straight as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 or the edge portions may be provided with corrugations or scallops 26 or the like, the scallops or lobes being capable vof bending when the sweat band is applied to the.head thus aiiording a comfortable fitting of. the sweat band to the head as the band is slid over the top of the head.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the end portions 28 and 29 of the sweat band are provided with a number of eyelets 30 or the like through which may be threaded a connecting strip or cord 3|, of which the loose .end portions 32 and 33 may be tied together in the knot 34 in such way as to determine the particular size of the sweat band desired. It will be apparent that if the knot is tied so that the laps of the connecting element 3| be shorter than shown in Fig. 6, the sweat band will be of smaller size, and conversely, if the knot is so-tied that the laps be longer than that shown in Fig. 6 the band will be of larger size.

, It will be noted that-the resilient or flexible member 8 is connected at both ends in a pivotal manner to the eyelets 9 and I5, so that as the v sweat band is enlarged or made smaller in size the members 8 will be capable of movement angularly about the axis of the eyelet 9, as also angularly about the axis of the eyelet Hi. In this way the resilient members 8 compensate for adjust- .ment, or variation in size of the sweat band. There is sufficient friction between the eyelet flanges and the end portions 28, 29 of the sweat ,band to hold them in adjusted position. The members or elements 8 are also flexible so that as the sweat band is forced upon the head when placing the hat upon the head, and is expanded, themember 8 will be flexed in compensation of that movement of the sweat band. In other words, the hat is supported by way of the elements 8 in a sort of suspension from the sweat band, the

band being supported on the head of the wearer.

It will also be noted that the sweat band is spaced from the lower portion of the crown so that there is provided an air space between the band and the hat so as to afford free circulation of air. By reason of the resiliency or flexibility of the members or elements 8, when the sweat band is upon the head, there is a certain amount of tension or pressure tending to hold the sweat band snugly yet comfortably upon the head of the wearer.

When adjusting the sweat band to different sizes, the elements 8 may swing to one side or the other as indicated, in dotted lines 8 and 8 in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

A chin strap 35 may also be secured to the hat by suitable securing elements, such as eyelets 36 and 31 (Fig. 1) with the intermediate portion of the chin strap passing over the front brim portion of the hat as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. While I have herein disclosed a few embodiments to illustrate the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may comprehend other constructions, details, arrangements of parts, features, and the like a without departing from the spirit of the invenhat in spaced relation to the hat, said connecting 5 means comprising strips'having one end pivotally connected to the hat and having a hole at the other end, and a flanged eyelet on the sweat band and adapted to be pivotally engaged in said hole.

2. A hat provided with a sweat band device comprising a sweat band having free end portions, adiusting'means associated with said free end portions for varying the size of said sweat band, means connected to said sweat band and the -hat for supporting the sweat band within the hat in spaced relation to the hat, said con necting means comprising bent resilient strips each having holes in' the ends thereof, a rivet in said hat and adapted to be engaged in one of the holes in said strip to pivotally connect the strip a to the hat, and an eyelet in said sweat band adapted to be engaged in said other hole in said strip to pivotally connect said strip to said band.

3. A hat provided with a sweat band device comprising a sweat band having free end portions, adjusting means associated with said free end portions for varying the size of .said sweat band, one of the free end portions of said band being provided with a series of openings each of said openings being located for a given size for the sweat band and means connected to the other of said free end portions for selective engagement in said openings, means connected to said sweat band and the hat for supporting the sweat band within the hat in spaced relation to the hat,-said connecting means comprising strips having one end pivotally connected to the hat and having a hole at the other end, and a flanged eyelet on the sweat band and adapted to be pivotally'engaged in said hole.

EDWARD C. SLOAN. 

